Compression drum for forming cotton and the like



March 1947- (J. R. MCLAUGHLIN COMPRESSION DRUM FOR FORMING COTTON AND THE LIKE 3 Sheeis-Sheec 1 Filed Oct. 23, 1942 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY." V

March 4, 1947.

J. R. M LAUGHLIN 2,416,706

COMPRESSION DRUM FOR FORMING COTTON AND 'THE LIKE Fired 001;. 25, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 m' mm IN VE N TOR.

' JOHN R. MCLAUGHLIAL.

ATTORNEY.

March 4, 1947;

COMPRESSION DRUM FOR FORMING COTTON- AND THE LIKE J. R. MOLAUGHLIN 2,416,706

Filed Oct. 25, 1942- s Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. JOHN R. MCLAUGHLIN.

BY (a M7 ATTORNEY. 7/

Patented Mar. 4, 1947 COR IPRESSION DRUM FOR FORMING COTTON AND THE LIKE John R. McLaughlin, New Brunswick, N. J., assignor, by mesne assignments, to Tampax Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application October 23, 1942, Serial No. 463,093

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to apparatus wherein pieces of cotton or like fibrous material are adapted to be compressed into firmly compacted, form-sustaining wads or plugs such as are used for sanitary purposes.

More especially the apparatus above-mentioned is preferably in the form of a drum that is provided with a continuous series of pockets into which a plunger device delivers compressed wads of cotton which do not have the form-sustaining properties of the finished articles. While in the pockets of the drum, the compressed wads of cotton are maintained in their compressed state while being subjected to the desired degree of heat for a period of time so that when the wads are discharged from the apparatus they will be in a form-sustaining state.

The present invention has particular reference to the structure of the drum, and the means for heating the same, and one of the objects hereof is the provision of a structure of the character contemplated herein that is novel as well as compact in the arrangement of its parts.

Another object of this invention is to provide means for effectively heating the drum during rotative movement of the latter, and for controlling the temperature of said drum in an automatic manner.

Still another object is to provide a structure of the kind disclosed that is capable of continuous step-by-step operation.

An additional object is to provide means for indexing the intermittent movement of the drum to register the material-receiving pockets successively with a wad feeding structure.

Further objects, aims, and advantages of these improvements will be apparent to persons skilled in the art afterthe invention is under-stood from the within description. Among these further objects may be mentioned that it is an aim to provide a device that possesses a high degree of novelty; is effective in performing its functions; is made of sturdy parts so that it will withstand severe usage; and which is comparatively economical to manufacture.

It is preferred to accomplish the above-mentioned objects and to practice this invention in substantially the manner herein fully described and as more particularly pointed out in the ap .pended claims, reference being herein made to the accompanying drawings that form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cotton compression drum embodying the features of the substantially along line IVIV of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectional View taken substantially along line V-V of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is an elevation partly in section showing the compression drum mounted in a frame, together with instrumentalities for feeding cotton to it and effecting its compression.

Figure '7 is a side elevation of a thermostat assembly utilized in conjunction with the drum shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figure 8 is a sectional view of the contact brush assembly taken along line VIII-VIII of Figure 6.

Figure 9 is a sectional view of the drum assembly taken substantially along line IX-IX of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a side view in elevation of a complete compressed tampon after removal from the drum shown in Figure 1.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the brush contact assembly detached from the drum.

Figure 12 is a wiring diagram of the drum heater and the thermal control therefor.

The drawings, which are to be understood as being more or less of a schematic character, disclose a typical or preferred form in which the invention may be made, and in these drawings like reference characters are employed to identify the same parts in the divers views.

The compression drum of this invention is mounted in a suitable frame which preferably consists of upright supports A to the upper portions of which a horizontal bed B is secured, and depending from said bed there are spaced hangers C, C, which have horizontally bored bearing bosses D, D, at their lower ends. The shaft 10 which supports the drum has its end portions journalled in these bosses, and intermediate its ends said shaft i0 is provided with a cylindrical ball-bearing I I as shown in Figure 9 and said shaft is threaded upon each side of said ball-v bearing.

The drum, as shown in Figure 9, is designated as a whole as E and preferably is a metal casting of somewhat wheel-shape in cross-section. The central portion of the drum has a hollow cylindrical hub I2 the inside diameter of which is such that it will fit around the ball-bearing II of the shaft, and one of the side faces of this hub I2 is open and is provided with a closure plate I3 3 that is removably secured in place by bolts I4 screwed into the edge of the cylindrical wall of 1 the hub I2. The closure plate I3 and the opposite wall I2a of the .hub are provided with alined o enings Isa and I21) respectively that surround 1 the shaft I upon each side of and adjacent the ball-bearing II, and felt oil-sealing disks I5, Em

I5, are interposed between the edges of said openings and the shaft in grooves I5. 1

The rim or felly I6 of the wheel-shaped drum E is of substantial thickness, and it is joined to the cylindrical wall of the hub I2 by an annular web 11 so that the drum is provided upon its side faces with annular channels I8and I9 that occupy the space between the hub I2 and the rim I 5 and are se arated from each other by the web I! the faces of said web forming the bottoms of the channels I8 and I9. An annular series of open end bores serving as pockets 22 are formed transversely through the rim I IS and are disposed with their axes parallel'to each other and parallel to and in a row that is-concentric to the axis of shaft I0. V i

' The cotton or other fibrous material is formed into individual wads 2i in a sha in chamber 22 on the bedB of the support and after being compressed into a compact cylinder each wad 2! is forced out of said chamber 22 into a pocket 22 of thedrum which has been alined therewith during a momentary ause in the rotation of the drum. The endof the wad2l protrudes out of that is of an annular or ring-like shape and is disposed in the channel I8. The element 26 is enclosed in anannular housing 21 of a wide or flattened U-shape in cross section which electrically insulates the element from the web I! and the outer open portion of the housing is closed'by a suitable piece of fiat annularly shaped material 28. Concentric rings 29 and 32 of copper or other highly conductive metal are attached toan annulus 3! of insulating material by rivets 3m and said annulus 3! is backed by a second flat ring of insulating material '32. The concentric metal rings 29 and 30 provide annular contact members, and when assembled with the insulating rings 3! and 32 are mounted in the channel I9 of the drum E by means of washers 33 that overlap the edges of the insulating members and are held in position by screws 34 in the man ner shown in Figure 4.

The annular metal contact members 29and 38V are'electrically connected with the heating element 26 by short wire conductors 25 that lead through insulating bushings 3E fitted into holes 3! that are bored transversely through the web housing 2I28 which insulates the heating element 26. The inner ends of these binding posts G8 in their interiors.

4 3B and 39 are in electrical connection with the heating element 26 within the housing 2I-28.

The electric current is fed from a suitable source by means of conductors 49-4! to brush mounting plates 42 and d3 that are secured to an insulating block 44 and are provided'with transversely disposed tubes 55 and "it that project upon both sides of the block 44 and carry brushes 41 and Plugs 49 and 5E! are screwed into the outer ends of said tubes 25 and t6 and springs 5I plugs and the inner ends of the brushes M and GB, urge said brushes into intimate contact with the contact rings wand 38 on the drum E. so

that there will be a continuous flow of electric current through the heating element 22 during rotation of the drum E. The insulating block 44 carrying the brushes 4'! and 46 is supported adjacent the drum E by an angular bracket'or arm 52 that is attached to an adjacent portion of the supporting frame in which the apparatus is mounted.

As stated before herein, it is desirable to control the degree of temperature to which the cotton wads 2! are subjected while being heated in the drum E. This is accomplished by interposing a switch element 53 in the conductor is as shown in Figure 12, which said switch 53 is actuated by suitable thermo-responsive devices that are placed close to the drum E Where they are within the influence of the heat radiating from said drum. The temperature control devices just mentioned are carried upon the lateral arm '54 of an angular bracket 55 projecting from the supporting frame of the apparatus, and said devices comprise a diaphragm member 56 having operative connection with the switch 53 and actuated by a liquid or gas filled thermometer 5! that is coiled between spaced plates 58 and 55, the latter of which is urged towards the former by springs 60 surrounding the studs (it upon which said plates 58 and 59 are carried.

During operation of the apparatus, the drum E is rotated stepby-'step to successively register the pockets 2!] with the discharge end of the shaping chamber 22 to receive the compressed and shaped cotton wads 2! therefrom, and, in order to insure exact registration of these por tions of the apparatus, the drum'E is provided with angular undulations or corrugations 62 upon a portion of its circumferential edge. These corrugatiens 62 are engaged by the roller 53 of an indexer plunger 6% that is reciprocably mounted in an adjustable carrier 65 and is yieldably urged in an outward di ection towards the drum E by a. spring 55. The carrier 55 is slidably mounted in a bracket or bearing 6! on the supporting bed B and is provided with a threaded shank 68 that extends through a smooth bore in a stationary log 69 and it is maintained in divers adjusted positions by nuts l5.

The intermittent or step-by-step rotation of the drum E is accomplished by providing a continuous series of angular ratchet teeth 1'! upon the circumferential edge of the drum E, preferably alongside and corresponding in number with the corrugations or undulations 82. These ratchet'teeth ii are en aged by a spring pawl I2 projecting from a slide 13 that reciprocates in a suitable guideway M on the upper portion of a bracket I5 anchored to the supporting frame of the apparatus. The slide 13 has pendent lugs I6 that are bored transversely to journal a rock spindle I? in them, and said rock-spindle T! has a transverse hole to receive a pitman I8 that which are interposed between said may be adjusted longitudinallytherethrough by nuts l9, l9, threaded on said pitman. This pitman 18 derives its motion froma bell-crank 80 to one of the arms of which it is-pivotally connected, and the other arm of said bell-crank 80 carries a roller 8! operating in a cam-groove 82 on a disk 83 that is secured to and moves with a rotatable shaft 34 suitably journaled in bearings BE'on the supporting frame of the apparatus. rocking of the bell-crank 80, through the medium of the rotating cam disk 83, will reciprocate the slide 13 thereby causing the spring pawl '52 to engage successive ratchet teeth 1-! and rotatably move the drum E in a step-by-step manner. At the end of each rotatable step or movement of the drum E, the indexer roller 63 is urged by its spring 65 into the deeper portion of each corrugation 62 on the edge of said drum E, thereby registering a pocket 2!! with the discharge portion of the pre-forming chamber 22.

The temperature of the drum E; which is controlled by the thermo-responsive devices described, is of proper degree to prevent marrin or destroying the fibers of the cotton wads 2|, yet'it is hot enough to cause the fibers to adhere to each other in such manner that when the wads are removed from the drum E they will inherently retain the shapes into which they have been compressed in their travel through this apparatus.

While this invention is described in detail in its present preferred form or embodiment, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art, after un derstanding the improvements, that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit or scope there of. It is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embodying a rotatable drum having a peripheral rim portion provided with an annular series of material-receiving open bores serving as pockets; means for successively closing one end of said bores, plunger means confronting said bore and closing means with said drum therebetween for compressing fibrous material in said bores, an electric heating element mounted on a lateral face of said drum below said peripheral rim and adjacent said pockets; an annular contact member mounted on the other face of said drum and having electrical connection with said heating element; stationary electric current conducting means alongside said drum having operative connection with said contact member during rotation of said drum; thermo-responsive means adjacent said heating element; and a switch interposed in said current conducting means and having operative connection with said thermoresponsive means, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum.

2. An apparatus for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embodying a rotatable drum provided with annular channels; a rim beyond said channels having an annular series of material-receiving pockets; an electric heating element mounted in one of said channels adjacent said rim; annular contact means mounted in another channel in electrical connection with said heating element; and

stationary electric current conducting means alongside: said drum in operative connection with said annular contact means, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated'to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum.

3". An apparatus for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embodyring a rotatable drum provided with annular channels upon its opposite sides and having an annular series of material-receiving pockets; an annular electric heating element mounted in one of said channels adjacent said pockets; annular contact means mounted in the; other channel in electrical connection with said heating elements through the body of said drum}. and stationary electric current conducting means alongside said drum in operative connection with said annular contact means, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum.

4. An apparatus for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embod'ying a rotatable drum provided with annular channels and having an annular series of material-receiving pockets adjacent one of said channels; an electric heating element in one of said channels; annular contact means mounted in another channel in electricallconnection with said heating element; stationary electric current conducting means alongside said drum in operative connection with said annular contact means; and thermo-responsive devices ad- J'acent said heating element, said devices adapted to control the flow of current in said electric conducting means, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum.

5. A drum for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embodying a rotatable hub; a rim spaced from said hub and provided with a series of material-receiving pockets; a web connecting said hub and rim; said hub, rim and web together forming axially alined annular channels upon opposite sides of the drum; an annular electric heating element mounted in one of said channels and adapted to heat said rim; spaced annular contacts mounted in the other channel; conductor means extending through said web and establishing electrical connection between said contacts and said heatingelement; stationary terminal brushes engaged with said contacts; and conductors leading to said brushes from a source of electric current, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum.

6. A drum for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embodying a rotatable hub; a rim spaced from said hub and provided with a series of material-receiving pockets; a web connecting said hub and rim; said hub, rim and web together forming axially alined annular channels on the sides of said drum; an annular electric heating element mounted in one of said channels and adapted to heat said rim; spaced annular contacts mounted in the other channel; conductor means extending through said web and establishing electrical connection between said contacts and said heating element; stationary terminal brushes engaged with said contacts; conductors leading to said brushes from a source of electric current; a switch interposed in one of said conductors; and thermo-responsive means adjacent said drum adapted to actuate said switch, wherebi said material receiving pockets are maintained heated to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum.

7. A drum for forming and compressing fibrous material into catamenial tampons embodying a rotatable hub; a rim spaced from said hub and provided with a series of material-receiving pockets; at web connecting said hub and rim; said hub, rim and web together forming an annular channel in a side of the drum; an annular electric heating element mounted in said channel and adapted to heat'said rim; means establishing an electric circuit through said heating element; a switch in said circuit means; i

and devices controlled by the temperature of said drum for intermittently actuating said switch, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets insaid drum.

8. A drum for forming and compressing fi brous material into catamenial tampons embodying a rotatable hollow hub of cylindrical shape and open on one side; a plate closing the open side of said hub; said plate and the opposite wall of said hub having alined openings; a shaft extending through said openings; an enlargement on said shaft housed within said hub; a rim spaced from said hub and provided with a plurality of material-receiving pockets; a web connecting said rim to said hub; an electric heating element mounted on one side of said web; annular contacts mounted on the other side of said web and electrically connected to said heating element; and means for supplying elecsite wall of said hub having. alined openings; a a

shaft extending through said openings; an enlargement on said shaft housed within said hub; a rim spaced from said hub and provided with a plurality of material-receiving pockets; a web connecting said rim to said'hub; an electric'heating element on one side of said 'web; annular contacts mounted on the other side of said web and. electrically connected to said heating element; means supplying electric current to said annular contacts; a switch interposed in said current supplying means; and therrno-responsive devices for actuating said switch, whereby said material receiving pockets are maintained heated-to preset the fibrous material in its compressed form corresponding to the shape of said pockets in said drum. I

, JOHN R. MCLAUGHLIN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,076,389 Voss Apr. 6,- 1937 2,058,880 Hunt Oct. 2'7, 1936 12,304,141 Bergmann Dec. 8, 1942 569,669 DuPont Oct. 20, 1896 998,474 Dessau July 18, 1911 602,636 Fetters v Apr. 19, 1898 2,188,923 Robinson Feb. 6, 1940 1,991,706 Seabury Feb. 19, 1935 

